US President Donald Trump has announced he will extend the ceasefire with Iran until its leadership comes up “with a unified proposal,” while maintaining the naval blockade. The decision comes hours before the fragile truce was set to expire, with planned talks in Islamabad still in limbo.
“Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal,” Trump wrote on Truth social. “I have therefore directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other,” he added.
Earlier on Tuesday, Vice President J.D. Vance had been expected to lead the US delegation in Islamabad, alongside Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Iran’s team was to be headed by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, according to earlier reports.
However, the New York Times reported that Vance’s trip was put on hold after Tehran failed to respond to US positions. Witkoff and Kushner also remained in the US, according to reports.
Iranian officials have said no final decision has been made on whether to attend the talks.
The two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan earlier this month was set to expire on Wednesday, after a first round of talks in Islamabad failed to produce a breakthrough and Trump moved ahead with a US naval blockade of Iranian ports, a step Tehran has labeled a violation of the truce.
Here are the latest developments:
- Oil prices rallied on concerns that the US ceasefire with Iran will expire without a deal.
- Tensions escalated further after the US Navy seized an Iranian cargo ship, the Touska, for allegedly breaching the blockade – a move Tehran branded “armed maritime piracy” and threatened to retaliate over.
- Iran’s IRIB state broadcaster said none of its negotiators had yet departed for Islamabad.
- Talks between Israel and Lebanon are reportedly set for Thursday to discuss extending their ceasefire, due to expire on Sunday.
- The Middle East conflict has triggered what IEA chief Fatih Birol called “the biggest” energy crisis in history.
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22 April 2026
The US Department of War is using the ceasefire to prepare for a renewed confrontation with Iran, according to a CENTCOM post on X highlighting remarks by its commander, Admiral Brad Cooper, and accompanied by footage of warplanes, ships and US troops.
“We are rearming. We’re retooling, and we’re adjusting our tactics, techniques and procedures,” Cooper said. “There is no military in the world that adjusts like we do, and that’s exactly what we’re doing right now during the ceasefire.”
Donald Trump has lashed out at the Wall Street Journal over an opinion piece critical of his handling of Iran, calling one of its editorial writers an “idiot” and accusing the paper of having “lost its way.”
In a lengthy post, Trump rejected the suggestion that Tehran had outmanoeuvred him, instead claiming Iran had been left militarily and economically devastated by US action. He listed what he described as the destruction of Iran’s navy, air force, air defences and nuclear facilities, and said the Strait of Hormuz was now under total US control, costing Tehran hundreds of millions of dollars a day.
Trump also used the post to attack former presidents over their handling of Iran and to criticise media owner Rupert Murdoch, saying the Journal was no longer essential reading but “just another failing political rag”.
President Trump has claimed Iran does not really want the Strait of Hormuz closed, arguing that Tehran is only saying so to “save face” after the US Department of War imposed its own blockade. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Iran was losing about $500m a day while the strait remained shut and claimed that unnamed “people” had approached him four days earlier saying Tehran wanted it reopened immediately.
“But if we do that, there can never be a Deal with Iran, unless we blow up the rest of their Country, their leaders included!” he said.
The UN secretary-general has welcomed the US announcement that the ceasefire will be extended, calling it an important step towards de-escalation and a chance to create space for diplomacy and confidence-building between Washington and Tehran.
In a note issued by spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, Antonio Guterres urged all sides “to build on this momentum, refrain from actions that could undermine the cease-fire, and engage constructively in negotiations to reach a sustainable and lasting resolution.” He also voiced full support for Pakistan’s efforts to facilitate further talks, saying he hoped they would help create the conditions for a “comprehensive and durable resolution to the conflict.”
21 April 2026
Iran’s mission to the UN has accused the US of committing an “act of aggression” and piracy after American forces attacked and seized the vessel Touska on 19 April and took its crew hostage. It said Tehran had written to the UN secretary-general and the Security Council demanding condemnation of what it called a grave breach of international law and a violation of the ceasefire, accountability for those responsible, and the immediate release of the vessel and its crew.
Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Military Command has warned that its forces are fully prepared to respond to any attack, saying any aggression against the country would trigger an immediate and more forceful retaliation.
“Our capable and powerful forces have long been at 100% readiness and on the trigger, so that in the event of aggression or any action against Islamic Iran, they will immediately launch a powerful attack on predetermined targets,” the statement statement carried by Iranian media read.
US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent has said the Department of War will maintain its naval blockade of Iranian ports, while his department will “continue to apply maximum pressure through Economic Fury to systematically degrade Tehran’s ability to generate, move and repatriate funds”.
“In a matter of days, Kharg Island storage will be full and the fragile Iranian oil wells will be shut in. Constraining Iran’s maritime trade directly targets the regime’s primary revenue lifelines,” Bessent said in a post on X, warning that “any person or vessel facilitating these flows, through covert trade and finance, risks exposure to US sanctions.”
A senior adviser to Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Trump’s ceasefire extension “means nothing.”
“The losing side cannot dictate terms. The continuation of the siege is no different from bombardment and must be met with a military response. Moreover, Trump’s ceasefire extension is certainly a ploy to buy time for a surprise strike,” Mahdi Mohammadi wrote on X, adding that “the time for Iran to take the initiative has come.”
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has thanked Donald Trump for “graciously accepting” Islamabad’s request to prolong the ceasefire and said his country would keep pushing for a negotiated settlement.
“I sincerely hope that both sides will continue to observe the ceasefire and be able to conclude a comprehensive ‘Peace Deal’ during the second round of talks scheduled at Islamabad for a permanent end to the conflict,” Sharif wrote on X.
Slovak MEP Lubos Blaha has told RT’s ‘Sanchez Effect’ that he is “ashamed of the European Union,” saying European Parliament Speaker Roberta Metsola condemned Iran after the Minab school massacre but “said nothing about the American war crimes,” and accusing Brussels of hypocrisy.
The February 28 strike on the Shajarah Tayyebeh girls’ school in the southern city of Minab, carried out on the first day of the US‑Israeli attack on Iran, left at least 170 people dead, most of them schoolchildren. Blaha described the bombing as a “massacre of little girls.”
Trump has announced he will extend the ceasefire with Iran, saying in a Truth Social statement that, at the request of Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the US will “hold our attack” on Iran until its leaders present a unified proposal. The US military will continue the blockade and “remain ready and able” until a proposal is submitted and talks are “concluded, one way or the other,” Trump said.
Videos circulating online appear to show Iran’s Khorramshahr medium‑range ballistic missile being paraded in central Tehran, including near Vanak and Revolution squares, as crowds rally in support of the government just hours before the ceasefire is due to expire. Iranian media have previously said the liquid‑fueled missile is designed to bypass Israeli air defenses.
Iran will not attend Wednesday’s talks in Islamabad and that decision is “final,” Tasnim has reported, saying Tehran has informed the US via Pakistani mediators that it will not send a delegation and sees “no prospect” for negotiations under the current conditions.
Any new “aggression” against Iran will be met with strikes on targets chosen by the Iranian people, the IRGC Aerospace Force has warned, according to Tasnim. Commander Brigadier General Seyed Majid Mousavi reportedly said that southern neighbors whose territory or facilities are used to attack Iran should “bid farewell to oil production in the Middle East.”
US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were seen arriving at the White House on Tuesday afternoon after flying from Miami to Washington, CNN has reported, as uncertainty grows over whether Iran peace talks will go ahead in Pakistan.
The outlet said Vice President J.D. Vance and top officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and War Secretary Pete Hegseth were also expected at policy meetings as the administration reportedly weighs next steps ahead of a ceasefire due to expire on Wednesday.
The US Treasury has announced new sanctions on 14 individuals, entities and aircraft in Iran, Türkiye and the UAE, accusing them of allegedly helping procure or transport missiles and Shahed‑series attack drones for Tehran. According to the statement, those targeted include actors linked to Iran’s Mahan Air and to Pishgam Electronic Safeh Company, which Washington claims supports the IRGC’s missile and UAV programs.
The US naval blockade of Iranian ports is “an act of war” and a violation of the ceasefire, Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has said on X, adding that striking a commercial vessel and taking its crew “hostage” is an even greater breach. Tehran “knows how to neutralize restrictions” and defend its interests, Araghchi said.
The Pentagon announced on Tuesday that US forces had stopped and boarded the sanctioned tanker M/T Tifani in the Indian Ocean, calling it part of efforts to “disrupt illicit networks and interdict sanctioned vessels providing material support to Iran.”
The US has significantly depleted key missile stockpiles during the war with Iran, creating a “near‑term risk” of running short in any future conflict over the next few years, CNN has reported, citing experts and internal Pentagon assessments.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies reportedly estimates the US has used at least 45% of its precision strike missiles, around half of its THAAD interceptors and nearly 50% of its Patriot missiles in seven weeks of fighting.
Stocks extended losses amid growing investor concerns that a peace deal with Iran will not be reached before the ceasefire expires on Wednesday. Oil prices rebounded after recent declines, with Brent briefly jumping roughly 4% to trade above $99 a barrel and US WTI futures rising about 4% to above $93.
A scheduled trip by US Vice President J.D. Vance trip to Pakistan for the second round of Iran talks has been put on hold after Tehran failed to respond to US positions, the New York Times has reported, citing an official with direct knowledge of the situation.
Trump has reportedly told CNBC he does not intend to extend the ceasefire with Iran beyond Wednesday, claiming the US is in a strong negotiating position and will “end up with a great deal,” while Tehran has “no choice.”
A Russian Emergencies Ministry aircraft has delivered humanitarian aid to Lebanon. RT footage shows the cargo arriving at Beirut airport and being received by Lebanese Civil Defense chief Imad Khreish and Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Rudakov.
Speculation over the new round of Islamabad talks is growing, with Axios reporter Barak Ravid claiming that both Witkoff and Kushner are still in the US and that a Homeland Security plane expected to take them from Miami to Europe en route to Pakistan instead took off toward Washington, “perhaps on the way to a meeting with Trump.”
No final decision has been made on whether Tehran will attend talks in Pakistan, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has said, according to IRNA.
He added that the uncertainty stems not from Iranian indecision but from “contradictory messages, inconsistent behavior, and unacceptable actions” by the US.
Non‑Iranian traffic through the Strait of Hormuz reached a post‑war high last week, Lloyd’s List has reported. According to a post on X, 23 of 71 ship transits between April 13 and 19 were “unrelated to Iranian trade,” while 43 were tied to Iranian ports or cargo.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has announced new Iran-related sanctions to target those “responsible for breaches to freedom of navigation.” She told a press conference that Brussels is working with Gulf partners on possible joint measures, adding that “none of us want to see a nuclear-armed Iran.” Tehran insists that its nuclear program is peaceful.
No delegation from Iran has been sent to Pakistan, a diplomatic source has told the IRNA news agency, noting that neither official nor unofficial information has been received regarding any Iranian involvement in the negotiations.
The source added that security considerations are a top priority for any potential delegation traveling to Pakistan.
White House sources have told CNN that US Vice President J.D. Vance is set to attend a policy meeting in Washington on Tuesday and is apparently yet to depart for Islamabad, adding to uncertainty over whether US-Iran talks will take place.
Vance was expected to take part in the negotiations and was reportedly scheduled to travel to Pakistan in the morning.
Iran has yet to issue a formal response on whether it will attend the next round of talks with the US in Islamabad, Pakistani Minister of Information Attaullah Tara has said. He noted that Pakistan is still pursuing “the path of diplomacy and dialogue.”
Iran’s football team is still preparing for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to take place in the US, but will participate only if its safety is ensured, the country’s Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali has said.
“We must be prepared,” the minister stressed, noting that it is still possible that the team may not travel to the event. He added that the final decision on participation will be made by the Iranian government and the country’s Supreme National Security Council based on the evolving security and political conditions.
Last month, Iran was in talks about relocating its matches to Mexico but its request appears to have been denied, as it is still scheduled to play all of its matches on US soil.
Russia’s ambassador to Tehran, Aleksey Dedov, has accused the US and Israel of committing war crimes after visiting a hospital in the Iranian capital damaged in recent strikes.
Speaking to RT during a tour of affected areas with other foreign diplomats, Dedov described the destruction as “a horrible thing to see,” calling it “evidence of an inhumane approach” and “very clearly a war crime.”
According to RT correspondent Saman Kojouri, the hospital was hit without warning while patients and staff were inside, though the number of casualties remains unclear.
Iran’s armed forces are ready to deliver an “immediate and decisive response” to any renewed attacks, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters commander Ali Abdollahi has said, as cited by Tasnim.
He claimed Tehran holds the military upper hand, including over the Strait of Hormuz, and would not allow Trump to “create false narratives.” Iran briefly reopened the strait on Friday but shut it again to “hostile” countries a day after the US refused to lift its counter-blockade.
Iran will not engage in talks while the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz remains in place, Tehran’s envoy to Beijing, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, has told RT, accusing Washington of undermining negotiations with threats and pressure.
“What they are showing is actually the closure of the Hormuz Strait… and they are threatening Iran militarily,” he said, adding the US approach is “affecting the atmosphere of the talks” and signals it seeks “not dialogue, but surrender.”
Fazli stressed Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful and compliant with IAEA rules, while calling uranium enrichment a “red line,” and accused Washington of previously breaking promises when talks were progressing.
Trump’s recent attacks on Pope Leo XIV – which escalated in April after the pontiff criticized the Iran war and called for peace – also appear to have landed poorly with the public.
The poll indicates Americans hold a far more favorable view of the pope than the president, with 60% rating Leo positively compared to just 36% for Trump. The pontiff also outpolls prominent Democrats, including Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Trump’s approval rating remains at a low 36%, with many Americans questioning his temperament amid the Iran war.
The six-day survey found support for US strikes on Iran at 36%, while only 26% of respondents described Trump as “even-tempered,” and 51% said his mental sharpness had worsened over the past year.
US insistence on maintaining the blockade of Iranian ports is “self-sabotaging the diplomacy,” Trita Parsi, co-founder of the Washington-based Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, has told RT.
“Trump is addicted to the optics of winning rather than actually making sure that the deal is secure. When the Iranians have shown some restraint or taken some de-escalatory steps, he’s declared victory and humiliated the Iranians,” he said, adding that “coercive measures” such as the blockade “will only backfire” and jeopardize the negotiation process.
Parsi described the war with Iran as a “disaster” for the US driven largely by Israeli interests, arguing it has weakened Trump. He added that Washington is “not even winning,” calling the conflict a major miscalculation that undermines global trust in the US.
Trump says he expects US strikes on Iran to continue if no deal is reached by Wednesday evening to extend the ceasefire, signaling little appetite for de-escalation.
“I expect to be bombing because I think that’s a better attitude to go in with,” he told CNBC, adding that the military is “raring to go” as he touted his efforts to rebuild US forces.
At least 26 Iranian “shadow fleet” vessels have reportedly bypassed the US naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Lloyd’s List.
Since the blockade took effect on April 13, maritime data shows dozens of ships have continued moving in and out of Iranian ports, exporting Iranian-origin cargo. Lloyd’s List said at least 11 loaded tankers have left the Gulf of Oman or the wider region during that period.
J.D. Vance is set to depart Joint Base Andrews near Washington, DC later today to take part in talks in Pakistan, ABC reports, citing White House sources.
Dozens of veterans and military family members protesting the war on Iran were arrested on Monday after occupying the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, DC. The demonstration was organized by several veteran groups, including About Face, Veterans For Peace, and the Center on Conscience and War (CCW).
Protesters gathered in the rotunda and held red tulips to honor Iranians killed in US strikes, and unfurled banners reading “End the War on Iran.” They also performed a flag-folding ceremony for the 13 US troops killed so far, before being zip-tied and led away by police.
Among those arrested was Iraq War veteran and CCW Executive Director Mike Prysner, who called the conflict “a crisis for the Trump administration.” Prysner urged current service members to refuse participation, saying they have the chance he wishes he’d taken.
The US Department of War claims its forces have boarded another vessel believed to be part of Iran’s ‘shadow fleet’, in the latest interdiction far from the Middle East.
The tanker M/T Tifani was seized overnight in the Indo-Pacific, with Washington vowing to keep targeting these ships globally.
“As we have made clear, we will pursue global maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit networks and interdict sanctioned vessels providing material support to Iran – anywhere they operate. International waters are not a refuge for sanctioned vessels,” the Pentagon said in a post on X.
Russia’s Emergencies Ministry (EMERCOM) has said a special Il-76 plane delivered 27 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Lebanon, as the country grapples with the fallout from the Middle East conflict and Israeli attacks.
The supplies include mobile generators, food, tents, blankets, and mattresses.
Scam messages offering “safe passage” through the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for cryptocurrency are being sent to shipping companies with vessels stuck in the area, Greek maritime risk company MARISKS has warned, according to Reuters.
The company said unknown actors posing as the Iranian authorities demanded payments in Bitcoin or Tether for clearance, stressing that the messages are a scam and not linked to Tehran.
Hundreds of ships and around 20,000 seafarers remain stranded in the Gulf. MARISKS said at least one vessel that attempted to exit the strait and came under fire may have been misled by the scheme.
Trump has claimed that Iran has violated the ceasefire “numerous times” in a Truth Social post. The assertion appeared to come out of the blue, adding fresh uncertainty as talks were expected to resume in Pakistan.
Russia is closely watching developments around the planned US-Iran talks in Islamabad, but believes it is too early to draw conclusions, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said, noting the situation is “changing very fast.”
“I would say we are taking an analytical stance… we will be analyzing what’s happening,” he said, adding that “over the course of one day, the situation can turn 180 degrees… or it may not.”
Lavrov stressed it is “difficult to say how much confidence every party has” in a potential resolution, pointing to “threats and promises” from Washington. He noted that an agreement had already addressed concerns over Iran’s nuclear program before the US withdrew from it, despite now insisting it wants to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
Spain will urge the EU to reconsider its association agreement with Israel, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced, arguing that “a government that violates international law cannot be a partner of the EU.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, speaking ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, confirmed that Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia have formally requested a review of the agreement. The move is based on the treaty’s “human rights clause,” with the three countries arguing that Israel’s actions in Gaza and Lebanon breach the standards required to maintain the deal.
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot echoed the concerns, calling Israel’s actions “unacceptable” and urging at least a partial suspension.
Gulf countries are in daily contact with various parties involved in the Middle East crisis, according to Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari.
“The crisis is ours, and the crisis of our region. That’s why we have direct contacts,” he told a press briefing, adding that Doha is betting on the upcoming US-Iran talks to yield results. “We do not want to talk about the failure of the negotiations… the entire world is supporting these negotiations, including us. And we are supporting our brothers in Pakistan.”
US Central Command has published footage showing Marines boarding the Iranian cargo vessel M/V Touska after it was disabled by the USS Spruance in the Gulf of Oman.
CENTCOM claimed that since the start of the blockade on ships entering or leaving Iranian ports, US forces have turned back or redirected 27 vessels.
Iran Air will resume domestic flights on Wednesday, ending a 50-day suspension caused by the war, Tasnim news agency reports. The first route to reopen will be Tehran-Mashhad, with return flights scheduled the same day.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has signaled skepticism toward Washington, citing “mistrust” and “contradictory signals from American officials,” as efforts continue to launch a second round of talks.
“Honoring commitments is the basis of meaningful dialogue,” he wrote on X, adding that longstanding distrust of US conduct persists and that Washington’s recent rhetoric sends “a bitter message.” He added that the US wants Iran to surrender, insisting that “Iranians do not submit to force.”
Iranian MP Mohammad Reza Mohseni Sani, a member of the parliament’s National Security Commission, has cast doubt on the planned talks, saying they are not acceptable in the “current situation.”
Speaking to Mehr news agency, he accused the US of being “overly demanding” and pursuing talks for domestic political gain, adding that “given the current conditions, recent aggressions, and the history” of past negotiations, the next round is likely “off the table.”
The US has expressed confidence that peace talks with Iran will go ahead in Pakistan, with a source telling Reuters that negotiations are “on track for tomorrow” and could even see Trump join in person or virtually if a deal is signed.
US Vice President J.D. Vance is expected to travel to Pakistan for the talks later on Tuesday, according to Axios. The Wall Street Journal reports that Iran is “positively reviewing” participation but has yet to make a final decision.
MP Ali Khodrian, member of Iran’s National Security Commission, has claimed associates of Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf have indicated he does not intend to take part in talks with the US in Islamabad.
Khodrian added that Tehran believes negotiations without a clear agenda bring no results and are instead being used by Washington as “a tool for managing energy markets.”
The global energy crunch sparked by the US-Israeli war on Iran is the worst on record, according to International Energy Agency (IEA) chief Fatih Birol. He told France Inter radio the disruption goes beyond past crises due to its scale and overlap.
“The crisis is already huge, if you combine the effects of the petrol crisis and the gas crisis with Russia. This is indeed the biggest crisis in history,” he stated.
The US-Israeli bombing campaign prompted Iran to restrict passage through the Strait of Hormuz – a route for about 20% of global oil, disrupting supply chains and driving prices higher. Markets briefly stabilized earlier this month on hopes the waterway would reopen during talks in Islamabad, but prices rebounded after negotiations collapsed.
Details of any potential deal between the US and Iran remain vague, with Tehran’s nuclear program still the main sticking point.
Trump is demanding Tehran dismantle its infrastructure and hand over enriched uranium – proposals Iran has dismissed as “non-starters.” Pezeshkian said on Sunday that Trump has no justification to “deprive Iran of its nuclear rights.”
Trump has also demanded the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, while Tehran insists on maintaining control over the critical shipping route.
Preparations for the US-Iran talks have been underway for days in Pakistan. According to media reports, parts of Islamabad are under lockdown, with tens of thousands of security personnel deployed. Pakistani security sources earlier told Al Jazeera the talks are expected before Friday, citing the arrival of two US C-17 aircraft and major hotels being cleared of guests.